A Collection Of Pets
by haveyounomercy
Summary: An alphabetical collection of small drabbles about tennis players and their pets.
1. A for A Secret

**A/N Hello, thank you for reading ****A Collection Of Pets****! This is an alphabet project, which means a bunch of unrelated drabbles to a theme will be posted in chapters made alphabetically. **

**If you have a special animal request for a letter, please tell me.**

**Disclaimer: Let's be reasonable now, shall we?**

* * *

A for A Secret

Yanagi Renji, when asked if he had a pet, only smiled slightly to himself. If only they knew what he knew.

"Yes I do." He replied calmly to the school newspaper editor-in-chief, who currently was scribbling down notes.

"What kind is it?" She asked, her eyes shining. She really did love a good interview.

"It's a… mixed breed. I'm not too sure what kinds it is, though." Renji responded slowly.

"Hm? Yanagi Renji, not knowing an answer to a question?" The girl put a hand over her mouth to mock shock.

"Hm? Asuka Ako, straying from an interview based on unsteady questions?" Renji replied quickly and calmly.

"You got me, Yanagi-san." Ako chuckled. "So, how is its relationship with you?"

"We have quite a loving relationship." Renji half-smiled. "I enjoy playing with him, especially teasing him. He's quite cute; and downright adorable when we cuddle at night when it's cold."

"That is adorable." Ako sighed dreamily. "If only my dog would behave like that."

"Don't get me wrong, he's not entirely innocent." Renji's smile widened, charming Ako. "He's quite the little trickster, always trying to fool or prank me. And when he gets mad, it's truly something to be afraid of."

"Are you sure you're not talking about a human, Yanagi-san?" Ako teased.

"What are you implying, Asuka-san?" Renji replied with amusement in his voice.

"I'm thinking that you might have an estranged little person in your hands whom you call your pet." Ako laughed.

"I think you've read too much manga, Asuka-san." Renji chuckled.

"Perhaps." Ako agreed.

The interview went on without a hitch, and soon the sun started setting. Renji, who had known the time and how late it was getting the whole time, was amused at Ako's reaction.

"What? It's this late already? I have to leave, please excuse me, Yanagi-san! Thanks for the interview, I appreciated it!" She yelped, putting on her jacket, grabbing her notebook, and displaying a great deal of multi-tasking as she bounded out the door.

"Urgh!" She looked up at the person she had bumped into. "Sorry, Kirihara-kun!" Without wondering why he was there, she ran off.

"Akaya-kun? What are you doing here?" Renji, slower than Asuka, left the room to look at the curly-haired boy standing outside the Press Room.

"I'm waiting for my master." Akaya responded happily.

* * *

**A/N Loved it? Hated it? Meh? Should they be longer? Leave a review if you have anything to say. =D**

**And yes, I promise to actually use an animal next time. **


	2. B for Being Protective

**A/N This one's rating is T because of the lovely Akutsu.**** This drabble is a bit shorter. Enjoy.**

* * *

B for Being Protective

"Get away from me, stupid dog." Akutsu pushed the small bulldog away from his seat on the couch.

"Akutsu-senpai, why do you do that to poor Beni-kun?" Dan, who was at Akutsu's hou- no, apartment asked, taking the dog in his arms.

"It's just an ugly thing the old hag picked up a few years ago." Akutsu took a long drag of his cigarette.

"It's not ugly!" Dan protested.

"Both of you are annoying the hell out of me. Get the fuck away." Akutsu grunted.

Dan, angry, opened his mouth to object but noticed something in the corner of his eye.

"Yuki-san?" He walked over into the kitchen where she stood, beckoning him.

"Don't mind Akutsu. He never says what he thinks." Yuki took the bulldog in her arms. "Let me tell you a secret, to get back for him calling me an old hag."

"Hm?" Dan leaned in closer, grinning.

"Ever since he got that second-hand smoke pamphlet in the mail last year, he always kicks Beni-kun away from wherever he's smoking. It seems he's trying to protect the little dog." Yuki's smile was wide.

"Really?" Dan was filled with new respect for his senpai.

"And it's come to my attention that he's also staying quite a bit away from you as well." Yuki whispered.

Dan's grin went from ear to ear.


	3. C for Creative Impacts

**A/N I seem to be on a roll. Well, it's not like there's anything hard about writing drabbles, anyways.**

* * *

C for Creative Impulses

"Oshitari-kun?" A tight-lipped old lady stopped her son from leaving the house. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Good morning Okaa-san." Oshitari smiled. "I'm going to my poetry competition."

"I know that." She snapped. "But what are you doing with _that_ in your arms?"

"Okaa-san, you promised I could do whatever I pleased with Mi-chan and you wouldn't care." Oshitari pointed out.

* * *

_Flashback, 1 year ago_

"_You know what; do whatever you want with that petty stray! See if I care!"_

* * *

"…Fine." His mother sighed. "But if you get thrown out…"

"I know, I know." Oshitari smiled. "I won't. Right, Mi-chan?" He stroked the black cat in his arms as he swiftly left the house.

"Oh, I have a headache." His mother complained to her head maid later. "Of all the animals he picks to symbolise luck, he chooses his black cat!"

* * *

"…Sir, I'm sorry but we cannot permit you to bring your cat inside." A bespectacled boy cleared his throat.

"Why not? It's says here that we can bring our 'creative impacts and lucky charms'." Oshitari showed the boy a pamphlet of rules for the competition.

"Are you sure you're not just bringing that to make the other contestants unlucky?" The boy accused.

"Do I look like the kind of person who'd do that?" Oshitari glared.

An awkward silence fell between the two.

"What's going on here?" One of the judges approached them.

"He wants to bring in his cat, ma'am." The boy pointed.

"She is my creative impulse." Oshitari defended.

"If you can give me a good reason, then I will let you bring him in." The judge told him.

Oshitari put down his pens and other trinkets so that he held only Mi-chan in his arms.

"Mi-chan," He began in a smooth, tender voice, "Is my muse. When I work, my mind can only be of her, and my heart cannot belong to anyone else but she. Sometimes when I have writers block, Mi-chan comes to me, and gives me a soft little mew like she's encouraging me. With her encouragement, I feel enlightened and have the strength to go on. It's her who comes to me late at night, when I feel sorrowful and alone and comforts me. It's her who continuously brightens my day and puts a bounce in my step. No one can ever come close to the bond she and I share. I remember that fateful day, when I picked her up, washed her and gave her a home. My mom resented her at first, but now she's become a part of our family. She's my life, my soul, my passion, my creative impulse. So, I beg of you to let her in with me, for if she isn't there, I'm sure that I shall be unable to write anything." He ended in a tragic, pleading voice.

The judge had tears in her eyes and a napkin on her nose. "That was beautiful." She sniffed tearfully. "Let's just give this young man the award."

"Yes, let's." The judges all around the room and a few contestants as well agreed.

Oshitari set off for home a few minutes later after signing some autographs.

"Well, good work, Mi-chan, although I daresay Gakuto will be jealous tomorrow." He chuckled, running a swift hand through her fur.


	4. D for Detrimental Punishment

**A/N Just to let you know, none of these animals actually belong to these people. I'm just making them up for my convenience.**

**Also, the time for this drabble is a few months after Nationals, when the made-up team Fokurei challenges Rikkai Dai to a practice match.**

* * *

D for Detrimental Punishment

"…Don't worry, we'll win this for sure. You know that Sanada and Yukimura as good as married, so all we have to do is-" The sneering captain of Fokurei was interrupted as he felt a shadow loom over him.

"Are you spreading rumours, Hayashi?" Sanada let his racket rest on top of Hayashi's head, frame faced upwards.

"N-no, Sanada." His voice had lost all the cockiness and the sneer was clean wiped off his face and substituted with one of utter terror.

"Good." Sanada took his racket and left, leaving the rest of them cowering in fear.

"I knew it was a bad idea to challenge them to a practice match." One boy shivered.

"That's this idiot's fault!" Hayashi kicked one of the other players in the shin.

"It's not!" He whined, wincing. "_Rokakku_, _Rikkai Dai_, how was I supposed to know the difference?"

"Are you going to stand there gossiping or are you going to play?" Sanada's voice roared across the courts.

"P-play!" Fokurei jumped and squeaked as one. They all glared at each other for causing each other an early death.

* * *

"Hey, I was wondering…" Akaya, who was at the park eating ice cream later that day with Renji broke the silence between them.

"What?" Renji turned to look at Akaya.

"Everyone's always talking about Yukimura-buchou and Sanada-fukubuchou but it's always Sanada-fukubuchou who punishes them. Doesn't Yukimura-buchou care?" Akaya licked his ice cream.

"Oh yes, he does care, it's just he and Genichirou have… different ways of dealing with those things." Renji sighed.

"How?" Akaya asked curiously.

"See, Genichirou believes that if it's not his team, the only discipline he needs to give them happens on the court. So he only scares them a bit." Renji explained.

"And what about Yukimua-buchou?" Akaya wondered.

"Yukimura believes that everyone and anyone should receive… detrimental punishment." Renji said rather uncomfortably.

"Detrimental punishment? How-"

"Oh hello, Akaya-kun, Renji." A soft, sweet voice cut him off.

"Yukimura-buchou!" Akaya, recognizing the voice, turned around immediately exciting. "What is detri-" He stopped, mouth agape.

"Yukimura. You brought him out again?" Renji sighed.

"Yes. I needed to take care of some business, see an old friend." Yukimura petted his Doberman. "So I brought little Jun-kun with me."

"Little?" Akaya spat out, overcoming his period of silence. "That's not little! That's a… Doberman!" Akaya pointed at the huge, silent, scary dog.

"Woof." It woofed.

"Good boy. You must be tired." Yukimura cooed, petting it as if it were a bunny or something equally cute and fluffy.

"You weren't visiting Hayashi, were you?" Renji asked, knowing perfectly well what the odds and percentages were. Still, he needed to make sure.

Yukimura just smiled. After a moment of very awkward silence, he opened his mouth again. "Anyways, Jun-kun and I need to be getting home. See you tomorrow at practice, Akaya-kun, Renji!" He waved cheerfully, leading the big dog away.

"…I saw blood on that dog's paw. What was that 'business' he had to take care of?" Akaya asked, shocked and only slightly terrified.

"That, Akaya-kun, is detrimental punishment."


	5. E for Endearingly Boring

**A/N Sorry I had a late update, it's just been hectic over here what with the last days of school and all. It was pretty tough thinking of something for this letter as well. Any suggestions for letter F?**

* * *

E for Endearingly Boring

"Oh come on Tezuka. Admit it." Fuji chided with a smile.

"Fuji…" Tezuka warned. He should've known better. It was truly a shame, he had let his guard down. Letting the little fact that he had had a pet slip from his mouth had been a huge mistake.

"Tezuka, just tell me what kind of boring pet you have." Fuji insisted. "Sure, you're an awesome buchou and a nationally ranked tennis player, but you are, in all sincerity, really boring. Endearingly boring, of course. So in conclusion, you must have something equally boring as a pet, right?"

"Fuji. Twenty laps." Tezuka turned to look at all the other Regulars who were listening intently. "And all of you; get going before I send you to laps as well."

The Regulars scampered away quickly as Fuji stayed behind, smiling at Tezuka still.

"Is it a fish?"

"Thirty laps."

"Nya, Fujiko, Oishi has pet goldfish! Are you saying that he's boring then?"

"Eiji. Thirty laps as well."

"What? Buchou, how cruel!"

"Forty. The both of you."

* * *

Later that night, Tezuka rubbed his temples and sighed. His team always made him slip up some way or the other. He'd have to do more training. Maybe he should consult Inui later.

"Eri." He faced his pet. Eri, as always, did nothing but stare back.

"I let down my guard down today. Don't follow my example."

Eri seemed to silently salute. After all, like owner like pet. After staring at each other in silence for a while longer, Tezuka lifted the jar containing his pet.

"I expect to see you grow into rich, healthy soil one day. Let's not let our guards down." He encouraged the earthworm.

"And you're not boring." He added as he tucked the jar safely away in his bedside stand.

After all, he'd never hear the end of it if Fuji found out he owned an earthworm for a pet.

That is to say if he hadn't found out already.


	6. F for Freakishly Similar

**A/N There you are, it's not as great as the last one, but at least it's there. I'm hoping to get letter G up very soon.**

F for Freakishly Similar

To a normal person, it would have truly been a strange sight. To someone from Hyoutei, however, it was a perfectly normal scene. Kabaji and Atobe were walking around, a couple servants behind them, carrying… laundry.

Apparently the diva had opted to walk with Kabaji to the Laundromat after he felt a dislike to the washing machine at home, which had turned his beautiful blue shirt several shades lighter. It was currently being replaced.

"Kabaji." Atobe snapped his fingers.

"Usu." Came the ever anticipated reply.

"Bring Ore-sama my laundry sharp at 5 in the afternoon tomorrow." Atobe flipped his hair over his shoulder.

To everyone's immense surprise, Kabaji shook his head from side to side. The servants behind them almost dropped Atobe's laundry.

Almost. After all, Atobe's laundry, even if dirty, was never to be treated with less respect than a normal human.

"Oh, of course. How could Ore-sama have forgotten?" Atobe half-smiled at his 2nd year buddy. The mature-looking boy had a childish spot to him, surprisingly. "Tomorrow's your 1 year anniversary with Ji-chan, yes?"

"Usu."

"Well then, I guess I'll have to employ someone else. You may leave now, Kabaji."

"Usu."

"And you three, don't dilly dally! The laundry will fall down if you walk too slowly!" He reprimanded the servants.

* * *

"Hey, did you hear that?" Gakuto nudged Oshitari.

"Yeah. It seems Kabaji-kun has a little girlfriend." Oshitari smirked. He hadn't expected that his date with Gakuto would have revealed something so interesting. "Ji-chan… How cute."

"Let's check it out tomorrow!" Gakuto grinned like a child.

"Of course." Oshitari agreed.

* * *

"They should be in there!" Gakuto whispered excitedly. He and Oshitari were perched outside of Kabaji's family mansion, looking through the bushes and into the window through a telescope.

"If I remember correctly, the living room would be…" Oshitari murmured, adjusting the lens and turning the telescope ever so slightly. "…Here."

After staring into the telescope for a couple of minutes, he started chuckling.

"What is it? Yuushi; let me see!" Gakuto whined.

"How uneventful." Oshitari chuckled. "But nevertheless, I can't say I'm that surprised. After all, it _is_ Kabaji-kun, anyways."

"Yuushi!" Gakuto prodded.

"Fine. Just don't be too shocked." Oshitari moved away to let Gakuto see.

* * *

"Ribbit."

"Usu." Kabaji put a small present on the table where a plump frog sat.

"Ribbit." The frog shot out its tongue to grab it, but didn't succeed on fitting it into its mouth.

"Usu." Kabaji petted the frog on the head.

"Ribbit."

Kabaji nodded.

* * *

"Ji-chan and Kabaji-kun are freakishly similar, aren't they?" Oshitari grinned. "A match made in heaven, perhaps?"

Gakuto was too busy rolling on the floor laughing to respond.

* * *


	7. G for Getting 'Pun'ished

**A/N I know this is a lame one. I also know that I'm completely defying the laws of Japanese and English with all these incorrect puns and whatnot, but cut me some slack. Davide's hard to write properly.**

* * *

G for Getting 'Pun'ished

Hiyoshi was annoyed.

Scratch that. Hiyoshi was beyond annoyed. He was ready to tear apart the source for his foul mood, and it was pretty obvious who that was to everyone around him.

That is, everyone except the target of Hiyoshi's murderous intent.

"Hyoutei, must be full of _charismatic_ people, since you have to have a lot of _cars_ to be rich!" Davide slapped his knee in laughter.

"Davide! Not funny!" A kick was soon sent to hit Davide's head, courtesy of Bane.

"I'd like to know who the fool that invited Rokakku over for a practice match is." Atobe glared, clearly irritated.

"Wow, that Atobe must always stay cool!" Davide pointed; oblivious to the groans that could be heard whenever he opened his mouth. "I mean, just look at how many _fans_ he has!" He guffawed.

"Oh, shut up." Resounded through the courts as Davide was kicked again.

"Yuushi, this guy is annoying." Gakuto whined.

"He's as lame as they come." Shishido glared.

"He's a bit loud…" Even Choutarou agreed.

"He needs to be taught a lesson." Oshitari muttered.

"I'll squish him into the ground." Hiyoshi's unusually loud voice made them all turn and stare.

And stare they did. Hiyoshi looked positively furious, and it would only be a few minutes until he burst, the others thought as they all nodded weakly. After all, younger or not, Hiyoshi sure looked scary.

Hiyoshi got up from his seat and approached the joker slowly. The smarter ones of Rokakku backed off at the sign of Hiyoshi's menacing aura.

"Hey, Hiyoshi, what's up?" Davide, always oblivious, grinned. "Aside from the sky, that is." He laughed.

"You." Hiyoshi glared. He whipped out his hand, producing a gecko who was proudly sitting on it.

"Gecko-kujou." He thrust the gecko on his hand in Davide's face.

After the initial shock, Davide's face grew into a grin. "Hey, you're pretty _punny_!"

* * *

As Davide sat on his hospital bed, covered in gecko bites and a cast on his arm, he reflected upon the day before.

Perhaps he shouldn't have made that last comment and gotten on Hiyoshi's bad side.

Especially when his _left side_ had been _right_ open.


	8. H for Horror Movies

**A/N I promise there are no puns in this chapter. This idea came randomly, because I love cartoons and Inui. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do cartoons.**

* * *

H for Horror Movies

Inui frowned. He was almost on the verge of tears. Why did this tragedy have to befall on him?

It had been a normal day, with practice in the morning, school, practice, training, and then some stalking. Same as every other day. He had just gotten home in time for dinner, which he had heartily ate up, and then went upstairs after taking a good dose of his new concoction, Ganzu.

He was just recording the new data onto his computer (after getting up from a short time of passing out in his room) when he heard an ominous _click_.

And then bam. The electricity went out.

Which was why he was sitting in his dark room, working away on his laptop, glasses glinting.

He breathed in sharply. His battery would last only 30 more minutes. He stuck a USB into the laptop and started transferring his work so far. Then he got up and looked around the room.

He was an inventor. A scientist. Surely he could use something to restart his computer, or even power it. Maybe his invention would even lead to a Nobel Prize…

Inui shook his head quickly, getting out of his dream. He had 24 minutes left, and the clock wouldn't stop for anyone.

He scampered about, upturning papers and going through files, trying to find at least _something_ useful.

He was just pondering the use of ink-powered computers when he heard a _clack clack clack_.

Like a horror movie, his head slowly turned to the side, where the noise was coming from. He stared, then grinned. Widely.

"You'll do. Yes, you'll do fine." He whispered (almost crazily) as he slowly approached the thing with caution. "Yes!" He grinned as he dismantled the thing, all the while grinning to himself. What a genius he was!

The thing, however, was quite scared. It felt like it was in a horror movie, and boy, it didn't like horror movies.

After minutes of tinkering, Inui advanced to his laptop, took out the USB and shut it off. He then went to his computer.

A series of loud clicking, clacking and banging followed. If someone were to hear all the noises, they would think it was some mad scientist at work.

And indeed it was.

* * *

"Finally!" Inui's glasses glinted eerily as he switched off his flashlight, closed the computer control box and sat in his chair.

"Now…" Inui pressed on the power button and gave the signal. He prayed.

Lo and behold. It worked.

"I knew we could do it, Hatsune!" He grinned at his hamster.

The hamster only kept on running.

Yes, Inui had controlled and tinkered so that the power for his computer came from the rolling of the cage that the hamster was running in. This meant that Inui had little time to finish his work due to the Hatsune's stamina, but he believed he could do it.

After all, he was Inui.

"Hatsune." He muttered as his fingers ran across the keyboard like lightning. "I knew watching cartoons with you in the mornings would help one day. After all, it was from them that I got this idea. As a reward, we can drink some (revised) Ganzu together tomorrow morning as we watch the cartoons."

Yes, the hamster thought as it ran, making the ball-like cage turn. It was truly like a horror movie.


	9. I for Indiscribable Hate

**A/N Sorry about this! It was already due a long time ago, and then during summer I have no internet, so I have to wait until I g****et back in August to post this.**

**Anyways, this chapter is plain crack. It has some connection to the earlier chapter named "G for Getting 'Pun'ished".**

**Disclaimer: Let's be reasonable now, shall we?**

* * *

I for Indescribable Hate

"I'm teling you, they're not the same thing!" Momoshiro insisted, annoyed.

"Sure they aren't, Momo-chan." Eiji laughed teasingly. The two were walking side-by-side on the way to the ice cream store. That day Echizen had detention, so the two of them were alone.

"It's true!" Momoshiro persisted. "Hiyoshi has a _gecko_, and I have an _iguana_!" After the fateful incident at Hyoutei, even Seigaku had heard about Hiyoshi's pet. Ever since then, Eiji hadn't stopped bothering Momoshiro about it.

"Of course." Eiji said sarcastically. He was rather enjoying teasing Momoshiro, it was so pleasing to see his flustered face. Perhaps he'd been hanging out too much with Fujiko lately, he chuckled.

"Eiji-senpai!" Momoshiro pleaded.

"Fine, fine. I'll shut up." Eiji laughed. "Just don't Iguana-kujou me or anything."

Eiji, laughing, ran all the way to the ice cream store with an angry Momoshiro on his heels. When they finally got there, they were both breathless and panting. Holding onto the wall for support, Eiji couldn't resist breaking into a wide smile.

"What's… what's so funny?" Momoshiro panted.

"We've got company." Eiji smiled. "Hello!" He waved to the people standing behind Momoshiro, waiting patiently.

"Hello." The two responded. Momoshiro turned to find two people he was very familiar with. Choutarou and Shishido stood there, one looking bored and the other earnest.

"What were you guys doing?" Choutarou regarded the two's exhausted forms worriedly.

"Oh, just talking about Momoshiro's iguana." Eiji replied, smiling.

"Iguana? You mean like Hiyoshi's gecko?" Shishido lazily asked.

"They're. Not. The. Same." Momoshiro, aggravated, said through clenched teeth.

"Woah, don't get all pissy at me, dude." Shishido held up his hands in front of him. "Damn, your tempers' just like Hiyoshi's." He muttered.

"Say that again!" Momoshiro's eyes blazed. He was getting tired of all this, and the last thing he needed was to be told he had more in common with Hiyoshi than he thought.

"Are you trying to pick a fight?" Shishido glared.

"No, he's not." Eiji hurriedly stepped in between the two of them.

"And neither are you, right?" Choutarou put his hand on Shishido's shoulder with a worried look.

"Iguanas are sophisticated, awesome creatures!" Momoshiro, oblivious to the two, fumed. "Ishi-chan is not even remotely close to those vile gecko creatures that your stupid team mate has! My Ishi-chan is a hundred times better than that damned gecko!"

"Momo-chan…" Eiji said in a warning tone. A scared look appeared in his eyes, but Momoshiro paid him no attention.

"And I refuse to be even inferred to being like that orange-head first year on your team! He makes me sick, with his silly 'gekokujou's all day. You can tell him that I'm disgusted at being put together with him!"

"Momo-chan." Eiji, more scared now, tugged on Momoshiro's arm.

"Don't interrupt me!" Momoshiro blazed. "I have nothing in common with that idiotic future captain of yours, got that? It's indescribable hate that I feel toward him right now, okay? You make sure to get that thought into that rough brain of his!"

"Sure."

Momoshiro paled in an instant. The familiar stern voice came from behind him, and it gave him chills.

"Hi, Hiyoshi-kun." Eiji, who had tried to prevent this, said meekly to the fuming figure behind Momoshiro.

* * *

Momoshiro woke up on the hospital bed next to Davide's.

"What got you in here, buddy?" Davide sympathetically asked the poor injured boy beside him.

"My iguana." Momshiro groaned, wanting to get back to sleep. The last thing he needed was to have Davide as a roommate.

"An iguana? You mean like Hiyoshi's gecko?"


	10. J for Juvenile Fantasies

**A/N A totally sweet ball of fluff. Sweet Pair, served on a platter. Because there aren't any decent pets that start with J.**** Plus, I need to spoil my wife.**

**Disclaimer: Let's be reasonable now, shall we?**

* * *

J for Juvenile Fantasies

It was the week before Christmas, and Marui was sitting in front of his boyfriend's huge fireplace, enjoying a large mug of hot chocolate.

For once, Jirou was not sleeping. Marui watched with amusement as his boyfriend sat on the big chair next to him and wrote frantically on a large piece of paper. His eyebrows were furrowed, and he had the tip of his pen in his mouth.

Turning to Marui, Jirou looked worried.

"What is it?" Marui asked gently.

"Do you think Santa will think I'm greedy if I have so many things on my list?" Jirou, wide-eyed with worry, turned around his paper to show Marui.

"Well, let's see." Marui took the paper from Jirou and started reading. Indeed, there were many wishes on the list.

"For a rich person, you sure want a lot." Marui muttered under his breath as he scanned the list.

"It's all stuff that my parents didn't allow!" Jirou replied with a whine.

"I can see why." Marui sighed. To be frank, he was shocked as well. Some of the things on the list were pretty baffling.

A candy castle, a bed of a billion goose feathers, his own religion, a stalking device, a portable bedroom that could be folded up and put in his pocket…

Marui paused. As he stared down at one particular item on the list, he raised an eyebrow.

"A jellyfish?" He asked questioningly.

"Yup!" Jirou grinned. "I saw one in an aquarium once, and it was sooooooo cool! I wanted to take it home, but my mom just screamed and said no." His face fell.

"And when did this happen?" Marui's lips curved into an amused smile.

"When I was 8." Jirou replied with a tilt of the head.

"And you still have such juvenile fantasies?" Marui laughed. "Jirou, some things are just meant to be forgotten and not pursued after so many years."

"But it looks like so much fun on Spongebob Squarepants!" Jirou argued.

"Have you seen how many times Spongebob's been stung?" Marui said seriously.

"He never died!" Jirou said defensively.

"Jirou, he's a sponge."

"He has feelings too!"

"Jirou."

"What?"

"You don't need a jellyfish."

"But I'd call it Jenny and love it and feed it everyday!"

"What if it's a boy?"

"Jeremy, then."

"Just give up on that one, Jirou. Such juvenile fantasies are the reason why you're still so childish, you know." Marui sighed. Honestly, he was just trying to be sensible. Why were they arguing about Spongebob and jellyfishes?

"But, Marui-kun." Jirou leaned towards his boyfriend. "I've wanted to be your boyfriend for many many years, since I was a small kid. Does that make it a juvenile fantasy as well?" His eyes were wide.

Marui was speechless. He found himself lost in those big innocent eyes, and he couldn't tear himself away. For a few minutes, they sat in silence, looking into each other's eyes.

Breaking off, Marui coughed. His cheeks were red.

"A jellyfish it is, then." He folded the paper and put it in the envelope.

"Hurrah for juvenile fantasies!" Jirou cried out delightedly.


	11. K for Knowing Looks

**A/N Honestly. Try thinking of a decent pet for the letter K. I tried hard, but I couldn't come up with anything. So, here it is; another person substitute for an animal. I don't know how many of these substitute chapters I'm going to make, so bear with me here, alright?**

**Some nice 7-year old Hyoutei friendship to wash out the sweetness of the last chapter. This is set when all of them are adorable little children.**

**Disclaimer: Let's be reasonable now, shall we?**

* * *

K for Knowing Looks

If one were to ask Atobe Keigo what his fondest childhood memory was, it would be of the day he was born. Of course, that day had made a huge impact on the world, so why shouldn't it be allowed to be his fondest memory?

As for Kabaji, you would get the usual "Usu." But if you were to look closely, you would notice a slightly child-like shine in his eyes as he recalled the first time he ever felt like something other than a meaningless tool for Atobe Keigo.

It had been years ago, when he was 6 and Atobe was 7. They were both going to one of the best schools in Japan, and it just so happened to be that it was going to be Show and Tell day for Atobe's class.

The teacher, mightily excited, had even put a theme on it. She encouraged all the children to bring their pets for Show and Tell the day before.

"What counts as a pet?" The teacher had looked at Atobe questioningly after he had calmly asked the question without raising his hand.

"That's a good question, Atobe-kun." She decided she could use this as teaching material. "Tell me, class, what a 'pet' is." She smiled at the hands that instantly shot up, waving around in the air.

"It's an animal!"

"It's something that you have to get the servants to feed and clean!"

"It's something that Mommy and Daddy don't like!"

All these childish interpretations made the teacher chuckle. Still, however, Atobe didn't look satisfied.

"I think it's someone you care for deeply, someone who's always there when you need them. It's what happens when two things make a mutual bond, one that will always and forever tie them together, no matter what. A pet is a friend, a helping hand, a reassuring comfort." A little boy with a Kansai accent and round glasses replied with a cute grin that resembled something of a smirk. As always, the teacher was moved and amazed by the little Oshitari Yuushi's words. Perhaps his beautiful words had something to do with her wild romance book that had gone missing a week ago…

"Very good, Oshitari-kun." She beamed. In the corner of her eye, she saw Atobe nod an approval. A smile quirking on her lips, she wondered what Atobe had planned for the next day.

Nothing she could have ever guessed, however, came even close to what she got.

* * *

"Kabaji!" A snap of the fingers brought the 6-year old from his classroom to theirs. The teacher, sitting at her desk, raised an eyebrow.

"This is my 'pet', Kabaji Munehiro." Atobe made a flourishing gesture to his friend. Silence filled the room.

Then, the little Gakuto, a boy with bright red hair, laughed and pointed.

"That's not a pet, Atobe!" He laughed.

"Why not?" Atobe crossed his little arms in front of his chest.

"Because… it's not an animal!" Gakuto began arguing.

"Yeah, well it's a million times better than your parrot!" Atobe huffed.

"Shut up!" Gakuto had tears in his eyes.

"Now, now, let's not fight." The teacher said hurriedly. "Gakuto-kun, don't make fun of others' presentations. And Atobe-kun," She faced the small diva and his friend. "What are you trying to say by bringing Kabaji-kun here?"

"I told you, sensei, that Kabaji is my pet!" Atobe huffily tossed his hair over his shoulder. Kabaji just stood there silently.

"Is this why we had that discussion yesterday?" The teacher could see a headache in the distance.

"Yes. And that's why I can say that Kabaji's my pet! He's my friend, my support, my comfort! He's always there for me, and no average _animal_ could ever take his place!" Atobe's hands traveled to rest on his hips in a patronizing way.

"Come on, we all know that Kabaji's just a servant!" Gakuto's voice pierced the room.

"Gakuto-" The teacher began, but she was cut off.

"Shut up! Kabaji isn't a servant, he's a friend! He's my best friend, and he always will be! And if anyone here wants to deny it, they can talk to my daddy!" A glare was given to all the children in the classroom which should have in no way belonged to a 7-year old.

"So…" The teacher finally broke the silence. Oh, there was the headache. She took a swig of water and finished her sentence wearily. "That's lovely, Atobe-kun. Now, who wants to go next?"

Atobe satisfied, let Kabaji go back to class with a smirk. That day had only been a small triumph, and it was soon forgotten. However, for the younger boy, it was a day engraved in his mind forever.

* * *

"Hey, look! There's Atobe! Oh, and of course, his loyal servant, muscle man Kabaji." The snickers were always there, wherever the two went. Through the years, Kabaji didn't even hear them anymore. Whenever these sayings did get to his ears, though, he would pay no attention. And if he were ever to doubt his relationship with Atobe, everything would be cast aside once Atobe would send a knowing look to him. At that moment, both would know everything that was on the other's mind. These small, knowing looks shaped their bond, and made it thrive.

After all, he was no servant. He was a friend, one that would be there for Atobe forever.

A 'pet', if you will.


	12. L for Lady Luck

**A/N What kind of weird drabble is this? My brain exploded and I couldn't think of anything for this letter. Please excuse this lame excuse for a chapter. Any suggestions for M?**

**And it has come to my attention that I will not be able to find pets for letter X and Z. So, please review and tell me your two favourite pets so far. The two most popular will be slotted into those chapters to get a second appearance. And from what I've seen so far, Earthworm Eri seems to be quite popular, indeed. And yes, I do know that the last chapter was incorrectly made because Atobe and Kabaji went to the UK for primary school. Thank you for noting that, though.**

**Disclaimer: Let's be reasonable now, shall we?**

* * *

L for Lady Luck

"I'm back." Dan sighed wearily as he opened the door to his one room apartment. It was empty and dark, but that was to be expected. He had just rented the space half a year ago, but he already was itching to buy something else somewhere else. Sitting down, he felt a heavy wave of exhaustion run over him. He had come to this part of the city for many reasons. For some reason, he couldn't remember any of them anymore.

"Yo. Brat." Akutsu had approached him the other day. "You're depressing to have in the room. Lighten up." He left Dan after giving him a hair-ruffle. At that moment, Dan's future looked bright.

Now, as he sat here in the darkness, it had fallen back into the gloomy reality it really was. He walked over to the kitchen to get himself something to eat.

Halfway through a stale old sandwich Dan made up his mind.

He wasn't someone made for the darkness. He was Dan, bringer of happiness. It was time to reclaim his old title (given to him by Sengoku before he graduated).

And he would start with bringing happiness back into his own life.

Seeing a shimmer of light in his mind, Dan smiled.

He was going to make it happen.

* * *

Two days and half a dozen shopping trips later, the whole atmosphere of the apartment had changed. The curtains (a drab old blue) had been pulled back and painted yellow. The walls were decorated with various posters of upcoming movies and popular stars. The furniture was moved in different directions to level the _feng shui_ of it all, and the fridge was fully restocked.

Dan, humming as he did his homework, felt almost accomplished. Almost.

There was still something missing. His eyes fell on a stray newspaper on his desk. A bubble of excitement exploded inside him. Yes. He had found it! The missing ingredient to his formula for a happy life.

The next day Dan came back into his apartment with his arms full of blonde animal fur. Putting his new Labrador down, he beamed.

As his Labrador jumped up to give Dan a wet kiss, Dan knew that he had struck gold.

The exact same day, Dan found a stack of bills underneath his old grandfather clock. It had been sitting there for so long (even before he had moved in), he had decided it should be moved and sold so that Lucy (his Labrador) would have a nice, cozy place to sleep.

Imagine his surprise when he found up to 25,000 Yen hidden just underneath the huge clock. Covering his mouth in shock, he spent the rest of the morning rolling around his apartment happily with Lucy in his arms.

But that was only the beginning.

* * *

"Congratulations!" Bemused, Dan blinked as several staff members of the local supermarket sprang out at him with confetti.

He pointed at himself questioningly.

"Yes!" They fervently nodded. "You are our 555th customer!" They made jazz hands and danced for a while.

Dan, however, was too much in shock to do anything other than break out into an ear-splitting grin.

"Please enjoy this big screen plasma TV!" They showed him a picture of a wonderful looking TV. "Just sign here and write your address so we can go and set it up there tomorrow." He hastily scribbled in the big sheet they gave him (after reading the terms and conditions, of course. Our Dan is a very cautious boy).

"And while you're here, please take this 1000 Yen coupon!" They shoved a small piece of paper into his hands.

Speechless, Dan just kept on grinning.

And that grin didn't leave his face. All through buying groceries and pet food for Lucy, the grin remained. When he used his coupon to pay for his purchases, his grin charmed the cashier girl. While walking back to his apartment and finding a lucky coin under his foot, his grin only widened.

And when he asked permission from the landlady to keep his Labrador?

Oh yes, the grin stayed, as if permanently fixed to his face.

"Lucy-chan…" He murmured that night into her golden locks. "I think I might need to rename you."

The puppy only woofed in response.

"From now on, you're my Lady Luck." The dog happily expressed her approval by licking the side of Dan's face.

* * *

"Hey Dan. Come over here!" His classmate called out to the boy on his way to the cafeteria.

"What is it?" Dan approached the big group of boys.

"We're betting on who's going to be voted student body president. Wanna join?" His friend grinned. "So far the pot contains 70,000 Yen." He leaned in. "What do you think?"

"Oh, come on, Tetsuo." Another boy chided. "Don't pull Dan into this. You know how he's been short on cash lately."

Dan looked at the table they were all gathered around. On it was a mess of bills and profiles of candidates. Haruchiya, Sakushita, Ichino, Nobu…

"3000 on Haruchiya-san." He smiled cutely.

All the guys at the table roared. "Haruchiya? She's a girl! You're an idiot, Dan!" Nevertheless, they took his money and added it to the pile.

"Just you see. I have Lady Luck on my side." Dan winked.

* * *

Dan sat in his small one room apartment happily, counting his bills. With the money he had, he could easily move out and rent a bigger, nicer apartment.

Not that he'd want to, of course. Lady Luck had just gotten used to this one.

* * *


	13. M for Merry Christmas

**A/N Oh my god. Remember me? I sure hope so. Anyways, this is my pitiful attempt at getting my crack back. I hope it works, and this story will not die. It's gathered enough dust as it is.**** Sorry about the utter lameness and shortness of this chapter. I'll try to pick up the pace again with the next chapter.**

**Anyone have anything to say about letter N? Requests are worshipped. **

**Have a Merry Christmas, everyone, even if this is a little early. =D And while you're doing that, have a happy New Year too, alright? **

* * *

M for Merry Christmas

Kisarazu Atsushi was supposed to be having a perfect Christmas. So why was he so unhappy? He looked around at his perfect ensemble of Christmas-ness, and frowned.

Christmas tree in the corner of the room, decorated with lights and a few stray ornaments – Check.

Wreath of holly placed on his door – Check.

Lights dimmed low and candles set out to create the atmosphere – Check.

Curtains drawn back to show a dark night with flurries of snow dropping down – Check.

Radio playing cheesy Christmas tunes – Check.

Stocking hung up on the cupboard – Check.

Eggnog in a cup beside him on the bedside drawer – Check.

Himself wrapped up in a blanket on his bed, reading _A Christmas Carol_ – Check.

Everything was perfect, so why didn't it feel like Christmas? Atsushi sighed. It couldn't be because he was spending it at the dormitory, was it? Just because he wasn't spending it with Ryou and the others shouldn't make it feel so weird. After all, he wasn't with them last year either.

No, it wasn't because of that. It wouldn't be because Yanagisawa wasn't there either, right?

No, Atsushi had always preferred the quiet to his noisy roommate, so it couldn't be that either.

Taking another sweep of the room, Atsushi furrowed his eyebrows and cranked up the radio louder. The music rang loud, soaking the whole room in cheeriness.

"_Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…"_

"Da ne."

Eyes narrowed. He had found the answer to his problem.

Throwing his blanket aside, Atsushi stomped angrily towards the small bird's cage in the very edge of the room, containing a cocky-looking bird that seemed to be _smirking_ at him.

Fuming with anger, Atsushi stared at the bird, not saying a thing.

Stupid Yanagisawa. He just had to go with his family on a cruise for Christmas, asking his roommate to _please please take care of Maki-chi, just for the little while, da ne. He's a good bird, I promise, da ne._

The bird cocked its head. "Da ne?"

Atsushi groaned and slumped to his knees in front of the cage. The whole day long, ever since he had gotten the myna bird, he hadn't gotten a minute of peace. It was even worse than Yanagisawa, because the boy actually said something before the dreaded two words, unlike his bird, which just repeated them over and over and over again.

He'd never thought he'd miss Yanagisawa, but now, he'd give anything to switch him with this stupid myna bird.

What kind of bird was named "Maki-chi", anyways? It was a stupid name, especially for a stupid bird.

Stupid Myna.

Aggravated, Atsushi threw a piece of clothing over the cage, effectively silencing the bird. Sighing in relief, he went back to his bed and finished off his book peacefully.

Around eleven, Atsushi finally laid his book down and turned the music down low. Taking his eggnog in his hands, he silently watched the snow fall, not without feeling a little wistful and lonely.

As he silently turned off the lights and the radio, making sure not to trip on anything in the dark while he got back into bed, he wondered if he was going to spend all his Christmases alone.

Maybe next year he would ask Yanagisawa if he wanted to come along with him back to the old Rokkaku gang. He smiled.

The steady sound of silence unnerved him at first, but then as he was drifting off to sleep, a blissful smile appeared on his face.

"Merry Christmas." He whispered.

And as his eyes fluttered shut, he thought, that all in all, this Christmas wasn't that bad. Maybe the Christmas Spirit was really getting to him.

"Da ne." A squawk.

Screw Christmas Spirit. He was going to strangle the damn bird.


	14. N for Never Alone

**A/N Okay, so this doesn't make sense. At all. Its plot is... a mystery to me. Its chapter title doesn't have much to do with the fic. It's waaay late. Its not exactly in the boundaries of this collection. There shouldn't be a way for me to combine ****SilverCyanide****'s birthday!fic with Valentine's Day **_**and**_** an update of this... very old collection of one-shots. XD I'm just really not very sane either, because this, honestly, is really weird. I'm sorry? =/**

**Happy belated birthday, SC~ I hope it's not too twisted and strange, because Yanagi/Marui is just... really different for me. XD Also, a bunch of this stuff is made-up. I have absolutely no clue how a nightingale acts/lives. **

**Happy Valentine's Day to everyone as well! I promise I'll try to update this more often. I swear.**

**Disclaimer: Let's be reasonable now, shall we?**

**-----**

N for Never Alone

The nightingale sat on her perch and opened her beak before closing it again, feeling the rush of the cold winter air in her mouth. She looked down at the park below her and cocked her head, wondering what the young boy was doing. He had a vibrant red colour of hair, one that matched the hearts and boxes that were being passed around by the other people in the park, all in pairs and resting their heads on each other's shoulders.

It wasn't usually this crowded, her resting place, her home. In the winter when her tree was leafless and bare, she would sit on her branch and look out over the people in the park; usually the occasional dog-walker and even some very shabbily dressed knobby old men. She would sing a soft, slow tune and not many people would hear her over the whisperings of the wind, but those who did would look up for a moment and see the small nightingale and smile.

Today, though, there were people everywhere. It was a happy atmosphere, she decided after looking around. Everyone seemed to be smiling and calm, although the cold was encouraging a few to put their heads very close together and conserve heat.

But the young boy sitting right below her on the rickety old bench did not smile.

She realized, sort of as an epiphany, that this boy was alone. He was not in a pair. There was no girl hanging off his shoulder, no red-shaped box in his hand. Was this why he was so sad?

The wind picked up its pace a little and a few strands of his carefully crafted red hair blew across his face, showing two purple eyes that she couldn't comprehend. There was something hidden inside those orbs, she decreed with a tiny chirp. There was something behind those amethyst eyes that made her want to flap her wings about and soar into the air, releasing all her troubles in flight.

Was it sadness? It was one of the few human emotions that she could understand. Sadness was when someone lost something, when someone had been deprived of something. Had this boy lost something special to him? She couldn't tell. Hopping down to a lower branch, she craned her neck outwards, trying to get a peek of those deep eyes again. There was just something about them that she wanted to see, like they were enchanting her, pulling her in...

It was no use. He wasn't looking up, and his long red bangs seemed to fall right in front of his face. But she wasn't a bird who gave up easily. She waited, absolutely still, for another wind to blow, for another chance to catch those beautiful eyes that she couldn't understand.

And that's how, she noticed, ever-so-slowly, that this man was most probably, dead.

Of course, he wasn't dead by human standards. Even though he had barely moved since he had sat down on the bench, it would be simply impossible for him to be actually void of life.

But on the inside, she guessed that he had already given up. He was probably slowly melting, rotting, dying into a soulless body, one that was physically but never mentally there.

She cocked her head and all of a sudden, she knew. She understood.

He was lonely.

He was lonely, lonely like her, whom had not yet found a partner or a nest, lonely like an old nightingale left to sit on the trees in the park and fantasize about young boys' eyes.

So she sang, she sang loudly and sweetly, in a vain attempt to change both their fates.

Nobody paid any mind.

-----

The little nightingale, whose song was dimming and chirp was softening, scanned her area of the park. She hadn't moved a lot in the past couple of months, her wings getting heavy and her body seeming rigid. She spent her days sitting on her branch, singing her lonely old songs, waiting for her boy to come back. Her boy, the one with the red hair and lonesome eyes, her boy she hadn't seen in a whole year.

As the pairs filtered into the park like they had last year, she sat on her perch directly above the bench which was threatening to fall apart soon, chirping (which sounded more like squawking) at anyone who dared to try and sit on it. This was their bench, hers and the boy's. She was waiting for him, and she would only have him sit here.

There were fewer pairs this year, but the atmosphere was still the same. She couldn't help but admire the happiness and love that was swirling around in the air, soaking in as much as possible into her cold, empty life. Her feathers were falling out and her bones were starting to ache, but she never went south to hibernate. Maybe she would, next year, if she was still alive, but not now. She had to see her boy again.

There he was. Trudging through the paths with his head down just like last year, his bright red hair swayed in the wind and she leaned forwards, trying to get a glimpse of those eyes.

It was still there, she mourned sorrowfully with a tiny chirp. That depressing emotion had not left her boy's eyes. She didn't know why she wished this boy happiness like all the other people in the park. She didn't know why she wished that the boy would smile, and his eyes would light up, even though he may have been the only creature as lonely as she.

She didn't know, but she understood. She was too old now to change her loneliness. He was young, and he could. But as she watched his hunched back on the small old bench, she wondered if there was such a thing as not wanting to change. Did this boy want to stay alone forever?

Was the thing he had lost a year ago his will to smile?

Across the park, she spied another young boy walking around, also alone. His eyes she couldn't see as well, but this was because his eyelids were tightly shut. She wondered how he was able to move around so swiftly among the pairs, but it wasn't like she could ask him.

He seemed to be wandering about, but not aimlessly. He was looking for something.

She stared at the young man who was still far away from her perch. She had an urge to see his eyes. His movements were unlike those of her boy's, movements that seemed to move to the place where he wanted to be quickly and sharply. He was not lost like her boy. But what was he trying to find?

Was he lonely too? ...Was he trying to find what her boy had lost?

She chirped once, twice, looking down at her boy. He did not move. She chirped once, twice, louder. And the other boy turned to her direction, and if his eyes were opened, he would've stared. She returned his eye-less stare and wished that he would open those eyelids up. She wanted to see what he was feeling.

His gaze went from her to the boy, and suddenly he was not longer lingering in the park clearing. He had found what he was looking for.

Her wings seemed to tighten around her. Was he after her boy? She didn't like that. Her boy didn't need any more sadness in his eyes. She didn't know what to make of the other boy. She didn't like how she couldn't see through the other boy; she didn't like how she couldn't see his eyes.

Squawking, she fixed her stare on the other boy, warning him. He moved closer. She started to raise her wings from where they were sitting at her sides.

As he got closer, her wings widened out and spread further. When he was standing right in front of her boy, she was ready to attack, ready to fly at the boy. She would protect her boy, her boy with the lonely eyes.

But she stopped. The boy had spoken, something she hadn't understood. Her boy was speaking something now too, his voice so alike his eyes that she could hear the desolate emptiness in it even if she couldn't tell what he was saying. The boy spoke again, but it seemed to spark something in her boy, something that made his voice harsh and his hand rose to perform the universal action of 'go away'. She was still in her flight position, unable to move, unable to do anything.

The boys stood in silence for what seemed like eternity, and she chirped softly at the other boy, conveying one message that she hoped he would understand.

_Open your eyes for me._

And he stared back at her, nothing showing on his face. She screeched, shocking him.

_Show them to me!_

Her boy now sneaked a glance at her too, and his eyes struck her, calmed her. She realized belatedly that she was still in the position to fly away, but she didn't move. She nudged her head after her boy switched his gaze to the other boy and she knew that the other boy had understood her different message.

_Go._

He disobeyed her almost immediately, moving to sit down on the bench beside her boy slowly. She quivered with rage. This boy couldn't be good for her boy. He would make him sad; her boy would never be able to find the thing he lost again-

One hand reached out to take another, and suddenly, the boy and her boy were holding hands, the other boy clasping her boy's hand sturdily, comfortingly, reassuringly.

Had she lost her boy to the other boy? She took off from her branch for the first time in a long time, circling around the tree. She flew forwards, looking behind at what was going on at the bench.

Her boy was now hunched over even more, water falling down from his face like it was raining, but it wasn't. She didn't understand it. The other boy did not move but still held her boy's hand steadily with a grip that would never let go.

She flew downwards slowly and landed right in front of them, just a little ways before the waterfall of tears streaking from her boy's beautiful, beautiful eyes. Neither boys moved to harm her or acknowledge her, even though it probably wasn't a common sight.

She looked up at her boy, the first time looking directly into his eyes. His mouth was moving wildly, spluttering words she couldn't understand while the other boy silently sat there, holding onto his hand.

Finally, her boy tossed the other's hand away, shouting something angrily at the other boy. The other boy paused, and then calmly said three little words.

This time it was her boy who moved. It was her boy who threw his arms over the other boy's neck and launched onto his shoulder, shoulders heaving up and down as more water fell down.

The other boy's eyes opened for the briefest moment out of shock, but closed immediately afterwards, his mouth curving into a small smile and his hands holding her boy close to him.

It took all of those two seconds for the nightingale to realize two things.

Her boy had lost his soul.

The other boy had found it.

And she watched the last tear fall from her boy's eyes, taking with it all the loneliness and emptiness that had once dominated his purple eyes and she understood without even looking into his eyes that he was happy. He might not be as happy as the other people in the park, but he was happy, and he wasn't alone anymore.

And that was all that she could ever wish for for her boy.

Spreading her wings out one last time, she soared into the sky, opening her beak to sing her last song that her boy would hear.

-----

"Do you hear that?" Marui whispered into Yanagi's neck, his tear-stained cheek resting on the data man's shoulder.

"What?" Yanagi asked, knowing the answer already but deciding to concentrate on the warm bundle of Marui in his arms instead.

"That melody... it's so pretty, don't you think?" Marui craned his neck up to look into the clouds, where a small brown dot penetrated the sky. "It's sort of... bittersweet, yeah?"

"It's the Nightingale's Song." Yanagi replied before pressing his lips on Marui's temple. "Happy Valentine's Day, Marui."


	15. O for Outrageous Pets

**A/N:** ...Hey, haven't seen you guys in a while. :'D It's been what, a year and a half? Oops.

Either way, I wanted to write something light-hearted. Sorry that it's so short, but I'm just trying to get back in the mood right now. I hope to finish this soon, so for all of you that remember me: please stick with me for a bit longer!

Also, I love Mizuki.

Disclaimer: All rights go to their respective owners.

o~

O for Outrageous Pets

"No."

"But it would be so fabulous-"

"For the last time, Mizuki-senpai, I said _no_." Yuuta rubbed the bridge of his nose, sighing. "We already have enough crazy things in our room already."

Mizuki rolled his eyes, dropping down onto the sofa lazily. "But just _think_ about all that we could do with it! We could get a fantastic purple one, and use it for tennis training and get it to predict match scores!"

"Senpai, are you even listening to me?" Yuuta groaned, trying his best to be the mature one. "For one, that freak octopus incident during the world cup was just an accident. And even if all octopuses knew how to-"

"Octopi."

Yuuta sighed. "Why would they make a pie out of octopuses?"

Mizuki threw his hands up in the air and cried, "Octopi is the plural form of octopus, idiot!"

"_Anyway_," Yuuta continued, "even if these... 'octopi' could determine our match results, I'd much rather rely on myself to make it happen. I'm not going to take some stupid creature's word for it. Especially if it's purple." He paused, "And how the hell would it be good for tennis training?"

"Yuuta, I'm disappointed in you." Mizuki frowned, starting to inspect his nails. "Really, I thought you would be more supportive as a roommate to let me have my freedom."

Letting out another heavy sigh, Yuuta started out the door for his evening run. "The only pies allowed in our room are the edible ones, okay?"

Mizuki responded with a pout, still inspecting his cuticles.

Not thirty minutes later, Yuuta came back to see that his beloved tennis bag had been removed from where it sat on his dresser, replaced by a giant aquarium tank. He didn't even need to look inside to know what had happened. Instead, he glared at Mizuki.

"What?" Mizuki smiled back innocently. "Octopi are edible too, you know."

"I hate you and everything you stand for." Yuuta replied, scowling.

Mizuki threw his head back and laughed. Still scowling, Yuuta turned to take an actual look at the octopus, and then he raised an eyebrow.

"I thought you said you wanted a purple one," he mumbled as the distinctly orange octopus floated around its new home.

As a response, Mizuki only shook his head. "Oh, Yuuta Yuuta Yuuta. You were the one who suggested 'pies' in the first place. And didn't I tell you to always look at your surroundings?"

Yuuta turned to his right. A giant purple octopus stood next to him. Yuuta opened his mouth, and then closed it. The octopus reached out to grab him with a slimy tentacle, and then _ate_ him.

Mizuki kept laughing.

o~

And then Yuuta woke up.

The first thing he said after he assessed that he was still very much alive was, "We are not getting any octopi."

Mizuki only stared at him from where he was getting dressed.

Yuuta flushed, glaring. "We are not getting any octopi _on any circumstances_."

"Did somebody have a nightmare?" Grinning, Mizuki buttoned up his shirt and walked over to sit on Yuuta's bed.

"I did not," Yuuta replied quickly, half-heartedly trying to shove Mizuki off his bed. "I'm just saying that for future references." He paused. "Let's put that into our roommate's contract. No outrageous pets."

Mizuki raised an eyebrow. "You know, the more you talk about it the more I find that I don't want to know." Brushing off his sleeves, he got up and put on his school blazer. "I'm leaving for breakfast now, don't take too long to get ready."

Yuuta sat up in his bed, frowning. "You are not going to bring any pets into our room, alright?"

Sighing, Mizuki turned around. "So you're saying that we can't bring any animals in here?"

Yuuta nodded.

Mizuki smiled. "Good. I'm glad Fuji Syuusuke is no longer going to be visiting us anymore." He slammed the door on his way out.

"_Mizuki-senpai!_"

o~

In the Fuji household, breakfast had already started.

"Good morning, Syuusuke." Yumiko greeted as her brother came down the stairs. "Did you have a good sleep?"

Fuji smiled at his sister. "Hey, nee-san, can you do me a favour?"

"Sure," she smiled back, pouring milk into her cereal. "What is it?"

"Could you predict today's fortune? I was thinking of visiting Yuuta this afternoon." Fuji handed her the tarot cards and sat down in front of his own bowl of cereal.

Yumiko calmly ate her cereal, turning over a tarot card. It predicted a tragic accident.

Across the table, Fuji chuckled to himself.


End file.
